Under the new rules, employees have to avoid handling ready-to-eat food with their bare hands.

Restaurant owners have to establish employee health policies. For example, if an employee is ill, they can't prepare or serve any food.

Restaurants and other food establishments have to decrease the temperature of refrigerated foods and date any opened, ready-to-eat foods.

The goal is to help avoid food-borne illnesses, like noroviruses and salmonella.

If you're dining out, you probably won't notice anything different because most of the changes are taking place in the kitchen. However, the purpose of the new rules is to make your dining experience safer.

The changes to the food code are the first changes in North Carolina in more than 30 years.

If you want to see all of the changes, visit: http://ehs.ncpublichealth.com/rules.htm